The quest for greatness requires the willingness to sacrifice, and NBA superstar Kobe Bryant says “that’s a choice I made a long time ago” in the newly released trailer for the Showtime documentary “Kobe Bryant’s Muse.”

Bryant is shown dribbling a ball inside an empty gym during the documentary about his life and the Los Angeles Lakers 2013-14 season. “We all have sh– that we go through,” the fiercely-private Lakers legend says after a trainer is shown stretching out his injured leg.

The clip’s black-and-white cinematography and crystal clear sound editing — how often can you hear the air conditioner running in a gym? — suggest a measured, thoughtful look at the Lakers star as he enters the twilight of his career.

Directed by Gotham Chopra (“Decoding Deepak”), the documentary lists Bryant as a producer. “I think me as producer is only a title. Honestly, I’m not quite sure what a producer really is. I kind of turn it over to Gotham,” Bryant said in July during a panel at the Television Critics Association summer 2014 press tour.

Bryant has final approval on the film, so it will be interesting to see how tough a look it takes at the so-called “Black Mamba.” He missed most of last season with a knee injury as the team struggled to a 27-55 record, the worst in the franchise’s history. It was the 36-year-old star’s 18th season in the NBA.